EC COMICS Gets Revival - On TV

EC Comics, legendary publisher of horror and sci-fi comic books dating back to the 1940s and 1950s, has inked a deal with Hivemind for TV and film projects.

First in development is a TV adaptation of EC's Weird Fantasy, originally a comic book anthology series that presented twisted, mystical tales of personal oddity and horror. Readers may be familiar with Weird Fantasy's sister publication Weird Science, which lent its name to the 1980s comedy film by John Hughes.

Additionally, Hivemind will produce a film about the life of EC Publisher William M. Gaines. Gaines famously opposed censorship and regulation of comic books and the implementation of the Comics Code Authority in the wake of accusations that comic books led to juvenile delinquency. Gaines also founded MAD Magazine, now a subsidiary of DC.

Former Valiant Comics executives Dinesh Shamdasani and Hunter Gorinson are attached to the projects as producers through Hivemind, the studio behind Netflix's The Witcher and Guillermo del Toro's upcoming Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark film.

“The EC library is a timeless literary achievement that deserves to stand alongside the works of Stephen King, Philip K. Dick, and H.P. Lovecraft,” said Shamdasani, Hivemind's co-president, in a statement. “Weird Fantasy is a truly historic property that shattered many barriers, and our goal is to make the television series just as fearless and forward-thinking as the stories that inspired it.”

“The story of William Gaines is the secret history of American pop culture,” added Gorinson. "The ideas he presented in the pages of MAD, Tales From the Crypt, Weird Fantasy, and so many more would inspire and incite revolutionary countercultures – from comics to comedy to film and music – around the globe for decades to come. As a veteran of the comics industry myself and a lifelong fan of EC, it's a tremendous honor to be working alongside the Gaines family to help bring his story – which has an immense amount to tell us about our own modern moment – to a new generation on the big screen."

Credit: Hivemind/EC Comics

“It’s very important to us to be able to find a partner that truly understands the significance and influence of Dad and the world-class creators that made EC Comics legendary,” stated Cathy Mifsud, Gaines’ daughter. “We’re incredibly excited to have found just such a partner in Hivemind and to embark on the first of several projects that will embrace the company’s legacy in ways never before attempted.”